Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-07-21
MAKING GLOVER HAY.
Helpful Hints Concerning the Cutting
Curing and Keeping of the Crop.

Helpful Hints Concerning the Cutting.
Curing and Keeping of the Crop.
Cut the clover as soon as you can see
any heads turning brown. Cut at this
stage the clover will make 2 less weight
than if cut later; but it will have a
greater food value, a larger part of it
being digestible. AS the heads ripen
the percentage of woody fiber in the
plant steadily increases. Cut as soon as
the earliest blossoms begin to turn, It
is more troublesome to cure than if cut
later; but this is more than compen-
stated for by the greater value of the
second crop, whether it is cut for hay or
seed. When cut at the right season and
well cured the nutritive value of clover
hay is fully equal to that of timothy.
and is greater in many food combine
tons, on account of its higher albumi-
mold ratio. Generally clover hay is not
considered as good timothy for cattle
and horses. Our experience is to the
contrary, and we think careful expert
ments will prove that, other things be-
ing equal, clover hay is full as good for
work horses even as is timothy. Moist
ure, while curing, damages clover
more than grass. A heavy rain will
often destroy one-half of its value. The
dew will damage it materially, unless it
is in cocks When the growth is ordi-
nary, and the ground quite dry, the clo-
yer may be cut late in the afternoon.
1t may wilt little, but SO little that the
dew will not injure it. As soon as the
top has dried and cured the next day,
which will be before noon, turn it.,
and by two or three o'clock it will
be ready to draw in. If the crop
is heavy or the ground damp, the. best
plan is, to cut it from ten o'clock to
noon. Turn it about two, and put it
in cocks before the dew falls. These
may be opened out as soon as the dew
is off the next morning. and the hay
housed before noon. A number of
caps will be found useful, but when
the crop is large it is impracticable to
depend upon them for protection from
rain. Our summer showers come so
suddenly that it is impossible to pro-
tect large lot
Glover is injured by too much sum-
A very hot sun is not desirable, as it
''burns" the clover, making the leaves
so brittle that they will break off in
handling. If allowed to get too ripe
before it is cut, or if cut when the dew
is on, the effect is of the same nature.
1t will cure out not little in the cock,
and this curing is more desirable than
sun-drying, The less handling neces-
sary the better. The best weather for
clover hay-making is when the sun is
not very hot and the air is dry. The
worst weather unfortunately, not
uncommon-hot sun and moist atmos-
phere; then the hay ''burns out. and
sudden showers may be expected.
Clover hay will not keep in stack,
unless the stack is protected by bet
ter material In the West, where most.
of the hay is stacked. this is accom-
plished by putting timothy on the top
Large barracks-open sheds-are often
used. These cost but little, and afford
good protection. But nothing else
equals a good NOW; and nearly all the
value of clover hay depends upon its
curing and keeping.-An'erIeG" <STS
eULtHriSE